In this 32nd book in the 'Commissario Guido Brunetti' series, the Italian policeman investigates the murder of an immigrant from Sri Lanka. The story can be read as a standalone with regard to the mystery, but readers familiar with the characters will enjoy it more.
*****
One of my favorite things about this mystery series, set in Venice, is the slow pace. Unlike detectives on American television shows, who are always running around at a frenetic pace, Commissario Brunetti ambles around Venice by foot and on vaporettos (water buses); walks home for lunch every day; goes out for coffee with his colleagues in the middle of the work day; and so on.
It's also fun to get glimpses of Brunetti's home life, with his wife and teenage children. Guido's wife Paola, an English professor, prepares delicious meals and the family discusses all manner of interesting things, like the statue of the wild boar in Venice, and the ethics of eating meat.
As the story opens, one of Brunetti's policemen, Officer Alvise, is detained at a Gay Pride Parade.
Brunetti and his colleague, Ispettore Lorenzo Vianello, determine that Alvise did nothing wrong and manage to smooth over the incident. Brunetti and Vianello then marvel at the fact that - although they've worked with Alvise for years - they didn't know he was gay, and they're pleased the incident gave Alvise the opportunity to come out to them.
After this, Brunetti's father-in-law, aristocratic Conte Falier, asks Guido to find out if a certain palazzo (grand manor) in Venice is for sale. Brunetti rings the bell at the palazzo's gate......
......and the caretaker, a Sri Lankan immigrant named Inesh Kavinda, informs Brunetti that the home is not for sale.
A day or so later, caretaker Inesh Kavinda is murdered, and his body is found in a canal. The Commissario and his team proceed to investigate the homicide, and Brunetti learns that Kavinda worked in the palazzo of university Professor Molin and his wife Gloria for eight years.
Kavinda resided in a small house on the grounds, and did necessary maintenance and repairs. In addition, after Professor Molin had a stroke, Kavinda served as a personal aide, helping the Professor get around Venice.
Brunetti interviews Kavinda's employer Gloria and several of the caretaker's acquaintances, and is told that Kavinda was a gentle man who worked hard and sent money to his wife and children back in Sri Lanka. Brunetti's perusal of Kavinda's little house reveals that the caretaker was neat and clean; had an altar to Buddha; and had shelves full of books, including mystery novels and books about The Red Brigades.
The Red Brigades was a violent leftist organization - notorious for terrorism, kidnappings, and murders - that was active in Italy in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, The Red Brigades had much in common with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.
The writings about the Red Brigades remind Brunetti of his college days, during which Guido and his friends flirted with political activism - loudly damning the rich and advocating for the working classes. In these scenes, we meet Brunetti's mother, whose wise comments set him straight.
The Commissario's investigation makes important connections between the past and present, and eventually reveals a shocking motive for Kavinda's murder. To identify the killer, Brunetti consults the incomparable Signorina Elettra, the fashionable secretary who's a whiz at using computers to get helpful information.
In a minor ancillary plot, Brunetti learns about the recent parole of a 'gentleman art thief', for whom Brunetti has an odd soft spot.
All these story threads come together in the end, when the puzzle pieces are assembled.
This is an enjoyable mystery, set in the lovely ambiance of Venice.
Rating: 3.5 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment